I grew up on the beach cities of Los Angeles and have always loved the sea. This passion led me to a degree in Aquatic Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara; a background which opened many opportunities for me in researching, developing, and engaging with mariculture activities around the world.

My wife and I have lived and travelled in many countries over our forty years of marriage, successfully raising three kids in exotic locations in the process. We have always engaged deeply with the people and cultures we’ve lived among.

Currently my family and I live in England and I consult for a Christian charity in areas of mariculture, research, social enterprises, leadership development, and adapting to new cultures. At present I am assisting a Indo-Pacific mariculture project – a social enterprise – growing sea cucumbers as a delicacy for the Chinese market.

I’ve always loved books and writing. The story of Pelagia reflects three of my passions: science, the sea and the narratives of faith.

Why did I write Pelagia? For many years I have believed that settling the open sea was within our grasp, and even more accessible than space as our ‘next frontier’. Over the last ten years or so I have been thinking just how this could be done, the technology and strategies needed, where people would settle, what kind of livelihoods they might have. All taking place on the open seas beyond the territorial waters of terrestrial countries.

Many discussions with scientists, engineers and others helped to begin to fill in the gaps and develop the concept of the Pelagic Territories. I imagine them being similar to the unincorporated territories of early America, which eventually became states, and have parallel narratives of pioneers struggling to build a new life in a wild frontier. And because they have an intimate relationship with and dependence on the sea, they would be stewards of its ecosystems and even begin to heal some of the damage we have caused.

The sequel to Pelagia, DeepStar, is finished and being prepared for publication.

I still love the sea and find any excuse to get into the ocean: sailing, diving, swimming, or just poking around tide pools.